HYANNIS – The Barnstable Municipal Airport Commission has approved
an agreement with the Town of Barnstable to ensure that traffic will
flow easily from the airport when the town and state redesign the
Routes 132/28 corridor sometime in the future.

At their monthly meeting Tuesday, the commissioners unanimously
agreed to help identify a way out of the airport, should future
roadway redevelopment plans block airport egress to the rotary.
Moreover, the panel pledged to seek design and construction funding
from the Federal Aviation Administration. For now, the airport
promised to keep the so-called Sullivan Lot - which it owns - in
reserve as a potential future way out to Rte. 132.

As part of its new master plan to build a new passenger terminal and
air traffic control tower, the airport is seeking approval of the
Cape Cod Commission to build an exit-only road to the rotary and
construct a new means of access from Airport Road. Drivers
approaching from Hyannis and Yarmouth would use a new airport
entranceway to be built near the former TD Bank building on
Iyannough Road.

Commission Chairman Daniel W. Santos thanked the town for initiating
the long-term agreement. “The airport does not have control over
what the town and state will do with the rotary and with Routes 132
and 28 but we will play our part to ensure the flow of airport
traffic and not cause harm to our abutters.”

In other action, the commission agreed without dissent to formally
ask the Barnstable Town Council to approve a $21.4 million
appropriation and supplemental project plan for the terminal and
access road. The council is expected to act on the request April 1.
All but $1.7 million of the funding will come from the federal and
state governments. The $1.7 million is to be bonded initially by the
town and repaid by the airport from passenger and facility user
fees. Groundbreaking is planned for this summer.